Blue Tide

🔹 About: 

1. The tide producing a fluorescent blue hue, popularly known as bioluminescence.

2. Bioluminescence has been an annual occurrence along the west coast since 2016, especially during the months of November and December.

🔹 Fact: It recently made an appearance at Mumbai's Juhu Beach and Devgad Beach in Sindhudurg, along Maharashtra's coastline.

🔹 Why:

1. It occurs when phytoplankton (microscopic marine plants), commonly known as dinoflagellates, produce light through chemical reactions in proteins.

2. Waves disturb these unicellular microorganisms and makes them release blue light. 

3. Eutrophication could also be one of the reasons.

🔹 Significance:

1. The event can be dangerous as many of the species in this group are toxic.

2. If dinoflagellates reproduce rapidly, they may cause so-called ‘red tides’.